Free parking!

By Shaun Inguanzo
PARKING fees have been abolished in Central Dandenong for the holiday season as part of a bid by the city’s mayor to permanently rid the city’s streets of paid-parking.
But there are concerns from fellow councillors over the lack of community consultation and financial impact the no fees policy would have on the city’s budget.
The move has the support of Central Dandenong retailers, albeit with warnings from the Dandenong Retail and Traders Association for shop owners not to hog prime customer parking.
Keysborough South Ward councillor Peter Brown this week put forward a notice of motion to the council and debated that parking ticket machines be turned off immediately and until the 31 January next year, with a report to follow from council officers.
Cr Brown’s motion included retaining fees for off-street enclosed multi-level parking and also keeping time limits which, if breached, would still see shoppers stung with fines.
Following a report, Cr Brown said he hoped to push for a permanent ban on parking fees.
Cr Brown said Dandenong’s central traders were languishing while others in Fountain Gate, Chadstone, Waverley Gardens and Springvale enjoyed free parking.
“People are avoiding Dandenong for shopping,” he said.
He said Dandenong had developed a reputation over time which had deterred shoppers from entering the trade precinct in Central Dandenong.
“If people want to drop off dry-cleaning, or a prescription, they need to have spare change (for the meters).”
But Cleeland Ward councillor Paul Donovan and Keysborough Ward councillor Roz Blades both said they were concerned that Cr Brown could not substantiate his claims that parking fees were affecting traders.
They said there should be proper community consultation before a decision was made.
“I agree they put people off shopping but on the other hand I am concerned at the lack of consultation,” Cr Blades said.
Cr Donovan said: “In my views to simply (turn off) meters is a fairly rash step and not really going down the path of good governance.
“Of course, everything affects the budget, if you’re losing a revenue stream and paying staff to monitor the parking cost to council.
“As to whether Central Dandenong would benefit or not is very questionable.
“At the same time we need to look at whatever we can do to ensure the shopping precinct is viable.”
Cr Brown said the money lost from parking tickets would be ‘peanuts’ and that there would be little impact on parking officers’ jobs as one or two fines a day would cover wages.
Dandenong Retailers’ and Traders’ Association chairman Roy Aspinall said the group welcomed Cr Brown’s Christmas no-fee trial, and said he had been in consultation with Cr Brown prior to the meeting to discuss it. “I think it is a great initiative and should be a boon for shoppers over the Christmas period,” he said.
“The shoppers should reflect into business (figures), but our main concern is that it be properly policed, time-limit-wise, so people do still adhere to time limits.”
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